Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1911 — CLASHES WITH COLLEGE PEOPLE [ARTICLE]

CLASHES WITH COLLEGE PEOPLE

Who Want to be Shown Before TearingUp Thei r Grounds HEARTILY IN FAVOR OF ROAD J • •’ ' ■ • '• And Will Gladly Donate Right-of-Way, But Do Not Want Trees Cut and An Unsightly Grade Built Unless There’s Some Assurance of Project Going Through in a Reasonable Time.

There was a little clash out at St. Joseph’s college Wednesday between Father Seifert and Purtelle’s railroad workers, and a warrant w r as sworn out for malicious trespass but when matters w’ere finally explained and promises made to desist in the* work of cutting down timber along the alleged right-of-way, the warrant was not served. The College people are heartily in favor of an electric road along their property, as it would mean a saving of many hundreds of dollars to them annually, and when a committee was out so 1 citing right-of-way, they told them to come ahead with the road and they would gladly be granted free right-of-way, but no contract was signed. It was not supposed, however, that they would want to tear up ground and cut down timber until something real tangible was in sight, but for some reason Purtelle’s work is being done where it will make the greatest show, and instead of putting tearihs to work and making a grade and leaving the timber until the workers get up to it, when it could be removed in a day, he is cutting and slashing right and left on the only timber along the proposed road, and when his men begun cutting the timber Wednesday on the east side of the road from the college, Father Seifert went out amVasked them to desist. \ This they refused to do, §ven when threatened with arrest, and they were finally told that unless they got off the ground they would be forcibly ejected. They then left and went down by Henn’ Luers’ where they cut several of Henry’s fine trees near the barn, and one large one in his yard, but finally agreed to leave the other trees for the present. Henry has a beautiful place, fine large shade trees in. front of his Mouse and a fine orchard immediately north of the house, which the road, if built, will pass through. His actual damage will be greater than any other party between Rensselaer and Remington, but he favors a road and signed up a contract for the right-of-way. Like the college people, however, he does not want the trees cut down in his yard and a grade built up in front of his house that might remain there several years before any track is laid or cars running. There Jiave been many cases of building grades to hold the right-of-w’ay and nothing further being done, and Purtelle himself has done this up between Dver and Chicago Heights where considerable grade was built last season and abuttments put in for bridges, since which not a stroke of work has been done. Up near Rochester a grade was built and ties piled up along the proposed line, all of which laid there for years without anything further being done. It may still be in that condition, so far as we know. Other like instances might be cited. r Purtelle has complained that people were knocking his road. This is not so. Everyone wants to See a road built, but they want to know that the activity being displayed is for something more than influencing subsidy elections anl holding down right-of-ways that may not be utilized for actual running of cars for years to come, to the great inconvenience

and damage of those who will g’adly give the ground when it is actually needed. Railroads cannot be built on smooth talk and nerve alone, and in signing contracts for right-of-way The Democrat’s advice is to be a little careful abcur getting tied up so that the use of valuable land is lost for an indefinite time and much inconvenience suffered, without any benefits whatever on the other side of the ledger.